Paint applicator

ABSTRACT

An elongated generally U-shaped channel forms a base member having normally disposed planar surfaces. Rectangular sections of pile fabric overlie two of the outer surfaces of the base member and transfer liquid coating material to a surface to be covered. Means on the base member removably secure the pile fabric ends thereto.

United States Patent 1191 Whalen [451 Apr. 24,1973

[ PAINT APPLICATOR [76] Inventor: Joseph J. Whalen, 1220 S. W. 24,

Oklahoma City, Okla. 73109 [22] Filed: June 4, 1971 [2]] Appl. No.: 150,112

52 us. (:1. ..1s/210 R, 15/231, 15/248 R 51 Int. Cl ..A46b 1 5/00, 1344a 3/28 [58] Field of Search ..l5/106, 118, 166, 15/210 R, 231, 235, 248 R, 395;401/9, 11,

[56] References Cited UN [TED STATES PATENTS Hamm 1 5/231 Crippen Palmeri ...,.15/210 R x 3,327,338 6/1967 Young ..l5/23l X 2,968,072 l/196l Bright 2,273,684 2/1942 Bailey ..49/49l FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 21 1,844 8/1956 Australia ..49/491 Primary Examiner-Daniel Blum Att0rneyR0bert K. Rhea [57] ABSTRACT An elongated generally U-shaped channel forms a base member having normally disposed planar surfaces. Rectangular sections of pile fabric overlie two of the outer surfaces of the base member and transfer liquid coating material to a surface to be covered. Means on the base member removably secure the pile fabric ends thereto.

3 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures Patented April 24, 1973 3,728,755

WHALEN JOSE PH J.

' INVENTOR.

AGENT PAINT APPLICATOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION l. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a paint applicator for applying liquid coating material to surfaces to be covered.

As is well known it is difficult and laborious to paint a surface adjacent an inside corner when using a conventional paint brush for the reason it is desired to apply the paint in a straight line along a surface being covered without applying it to the adjacent surface or surfaces.

Most conventional paint rollers are too large for painting narrow surfaces, such as the rail, stile or mullion adjacent a glazed surface, and further, no means is provided for maintaining the roller at a uniform distance from an adjacent surface.

2. Description of the Prior Art US. Pat. Nos. 2,810,148 and 3,359,589 disclose planar pile fabric equipped paint applicators provided with rollers for maintaining a fixed spacing between a surface being painted and an adjacent surface of an inside corner, however, neither of these applicators function well in painting certain areas of a window sash for the reason their physical configuration does not permit the applicator to be disposed within a restricted area. For example, painting the bottom rail of the upper sash of double-hung windows wherein the upper rail of the lower sash generally extends above the plane of the upper limit of the lower rail of the upper sash. Further, this applicator is distinctive over these patents in that its configuration permits applying a liquid coating to the quarter round moulding overlying a marginal edge portion of a covering, such as a rug adjacent a mopboard, without any of the liquid coating being applied to the rug pile.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An elongated, generally U-shaped in cross section, member forms a base defining spaced-apart parallel leg members interconnected by a bight portion of the U- shape having its outer surface normal to the plane of the outer surface of the leg members. One of the leg members is of less length than the other to form a handle for the base having its longitudinal marginal edge arcuately curved outward to form a spacing guide for contacting a surface of an inside corner normal to the surface being coated. A rectangular section of pile fabric, including outstanding bristle-like piles secured to a woven base, overlie the outer surface of the leg portion opposite the handle and the outer surface of the bight portion and are coextensive therewith. Means, formed on the leg and bight portion of the base, secure the pile fabric thereto in a manner to arcuately bow the pile fabric outwardly of the plane of the base surfaces intermediate their ends.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an applicator for applying liquid coatings to flat wall surfaces, narrow edge surfaces, corners, irregular moldings, window frames, sash rails and mullions, hav- FIG. 2 is a similar perspective view illustrating the position of sections of pile fabric when secured to the base member;

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 33 of F IG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view, to a smaller scale, illustrating one manner of loading the liquid coating retaining pile fabric;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a liquid coating container used for loading the pile fabric with paint;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are fragmentary vertical cross-sectional views, to another scale, illustrating an end view of the applicator in quarter round molding coating position adjacent different floor coverings; and,

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view, to another scale of double-hung windows illustrating the position of the applicator, in end elevation, applying a liquid coating to a window sash restricted area adjacent a glazed surface.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Like characters of reference designate like parts in those figures of the drawings in which they occur.

In the drawings:

The reference numeral 10 indicates a base member of elongated generally U-shaped channel form having one generally rectangular leg member 12 and an opposite generally rectangular leg member 14 interconnected in spaced-apart parallel relation by a rectangular bight portion 16 perpendicular to the planes of the leg members 12 and 14. The juncture of the leg 12 with the bight portion 16 is characterized by a longitudinally coextensive indentation or recess 18 to provide a spacing between paint retaining members as hereinafter described. The free longitudinal edge portion of the leg 12 is arcuately curved outwardly, as at 19, for the reason presently explained.

The overall size of the base member 10 is preferably relatively small for applying paint to relatively small areas, such a window mullions, quarter rounds, or the like, and inside corner areas formed by windows and casings. An elongated relatively narrow integrally connected clip member 20, connected to the respective end of the leg 12, is doubled back toward and overlies,

ing removable liquid coating retaining pile fabric secured to one or more surfaces thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS in close spaced relation, the adjacent end portion of the outer surface of the leg 12 intermediate its width. Other similar clip members 22, secured to the respective ends of the bight portion 16, similarly overlie in spaced relation the respective end portion of the bight member 16 medially its width. The clip members 20 and 22 are for the purpose of overlying and securing the respective end portion of a pair of pile fabric members 24 and 26.

Each of the pile fabric members comprise a base 28 of woven pile or strands which has secured thereto bristle-like pile members or strands 30 which project outwardly from one surface of the woven base in substantially perpendicular relation thereto. The fabric pile members 24 and 26 are preferably substantially coextensive with the outer surface of the leg 12 and bight portion 16 of the base member. The pile members 24 and 26 are connected with the leg 12 and bight portion 16 by manually inserting one end portion of the pile base 28 under one of the respective clips 20 and 22.

The pile fabric is then arcuately bent or deformed outwardly of the base leg or bight member so that the other end of the fabric base 28 may be manually inserted, at its other end, under the other clip and 22, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 4, the end portions of the leg member 12 is transversely bent or curved, as at 31, toward the other leg 14 so that the pile fibers and its base member tend to bow outwardly from the outer surface of the leg 12 for the reasons presently explained.

The respective end portions of the bight member 16 are similarly curved inwardly from the outer surface or plane of the bight member.

The device is used by manually grasping its handle forming leg member 14 and applying a liquid coating to the pile fibers of one or more of the applicator members 24 or 26 for transferring the liquid coating to a surface to be coated. This may be accomplished as shown in FIG. 5, wherein a conventional can lid 32 is inverted and a small quantity of paint, not shown, placed on the upper surface of the lid. Then one of the fabric members, such as the fabric member 26, may then be placed 7 in contact with the paint on the lid 32. The outwardly bowed configuration of the member 26 thus contacts the paint without applying paint to the full extent of the pile 30. When using the fabric member 26 for painting a small surface, such as a quarter round 34 (FIG. 7) overlying a floor covering, such as a rug 36, and adjacent a mop-board 38, the fabric member 24 is loaded with liquid coating material and the fabric member 26, in a dry state, is placed in contact with the upper surface of the rug 36 adjacent the quarter round 34 so that the member 24 contacts the quarter round. The 'device is moved in a to and fro motion, along the moulding, wherein the bristle piles 30 of the fabric member 24 coats the quarter round outer surface adjacent the rug surface. The fabric member 26 acts as a spacer and glide for movement of the device.

FIG. 8 illustrates the manner of painting a quarter round adjacent a mop-board overlying a hard surface floor such as linoleum 37 This is best accomplished by removing the fabric member 24 and loading the fabric member 26 which is placed in contact with the quarter round moulding 34 with the device positioned substantially asshown. The recess 18 aids in maintaining a space between the surface being painted and an adjacent surface not to be painted. With a little practice and care the user may coat the lowermost portion of the quarter round without applying any of the liquid coating to the piles 36 of the rug or surface of the floor 37.

FIG. 9 illustrates another use of the device wherein the juncture of double-hung windows is characterized by the upper rail 42 of the lower window extending slightly above the horizontal plane of the lower rail 44 of the upper window and it is desired to paint the surface 46 of the rail 44 adjacent a window pane 48 of the upper window. The arcuate curve 19in the handle portion 14 forms a spacer for preventing paint application to the window pane 48 when the fabric member 26 is in contact with the window surface 46 being coated. The transverse width of the base member 10 permits it to enter this restricted area. Pressure manually applied to the base member while holdin the leg member 12 spreads the pile bristles 30 laterly of the width of the bight member 16 for applying the liquid coating to the window surface 46 without coating the adjacent surfaces normal to the surface 46.

. Another method of loading the fabric members with liquid coating comprises using a relatively small rectangular container 50 containing a quantity of liquid coat.-

ing 52 wherein the fabric members are placed in overlying relation on the upwardly open end of the container 50 which is then manually inverted, momentarily, while maintaining the respective fabric member in contact therewith. This deposits a portion of the liquid coating on the central portion of the fabric member and prevents overloading the pile fibers 30.

When using the device in applying paint to inside corners having the surface thereof normal to each other the elongated recess 18 forms a gap or spacing between adjacent longitudinal edges of the fabric members 24 and 26 which prevents liquid coating being transferred, by capillary attraction, from one fabric member to the other and a build-up of liquid coating therebetween at the juncture of the leg 12 with the bight portion 16 thus effectively eliminating any tendency of dripping of liquid coating from the device while in use.

Obviously the invention is susceptible to changes or alterations without defeating its practicability, therefore, I do not wish to be confined to the preferred enibodiment shown in the drawings and described herein.

I claim:

1. An applicator for liquid coating materials, comprising:

a base member of elongated generally U-shaped channel form, in transverse cross section, having parallel end edges and having parallel legs and a planar bight portion, the plane of the outer surface of the bight portion being normal to the plane of the outer surface of the respective leg; and, rectangular section of pile fabric, comprising a woven base and bristly pile fibers projecting from one surface of the woven base, coextensive with and overlying the outer surface of said bight portion and one said leg, respectively, the marginal edges of said sections of pile fabric adjacent the juncture of said one leg with the bight portion of said base member being disposed in spaced-apart relation; and,

means removably connecting said sections of pile fabric with said leg and said bight portion,

said means including a clip connected with the respective end of said leg and said bight portion,

each said clip being doubled back and overlying the respective end portion surface of said one leg and said bight portion.

2. A liquid coating applicator according to claim 1 in which said base member is characterized by a longitudinal recess formed in its surface defining the juncture of said one leg with said bight portion.

3. A liquid coating applicator according to claim 3 in which the longitudinal edge portion of the other said leg is arcuately curved laterally away from said one leg to form a spacing guide. 

1. An applicator for liquid coating materials, comprising: a base member of elongated generally U-shaped channel form, in transverse cross section, having parallel end edges and having parallel legs and a planar bight portion, the plane of the outer surface of the bight portion being normal to the plane of the outer surface of the respective leg; and, a rectangular section of pile fabric, comprising a woven base and bristly pile fibers projecting from one surface of the woven base, coextensive with and overlying the outer surface of said bight portion and one said leg, respectively, the marginal edges of said sections of pile fabric adjacent the juncture of said one leg with the bight portion of said base member being disposed in spaced-apart relation; and, means removably connecting said sections of pile fabric with said leg and said bight portion, said means including a clip connected with the respective end of said leg and said bight portion, each said clip being doubled back and overlying the respective end portion surface of said one leg and said bight portion.
 2. A liquid coating applicator according to claim 1 in which said base member is characterized by a longitudinal recess formed in its surface defining the juncture of said one leg with said bight portion.
 3. A liquid coating applicator according to claim 3 in which the longitudinal edge portion of the other said leg is arcuately curved laterally away from said one leg to form a spacing guide. 